With the offseason work of finalizing the coaching staff now in the books, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff have been hard at work on the recruiting trail. Targeting top prospects all over the country, the Tigers have been busy trying to land the latest wave of commits for the program.
One name fans should keep an eye on is Samari Matthews. One of the top cornerbacks in the country, the Cornelius, North Carolina native is, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports, down to four programs and Clemson has made the list along with South Carolina, Florida State, and Oregon.
According to 247Sports.com, Matthews is rated a 4-star prospect. That site's composite rankings, an average of the recruiting rankings of services from around the industry, has him listed as the No. 57 overall player and No. 5 corner in the country for the class of 2026.
NEWS: Four-Star CB Samari Matthews is down to 4 Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 31, 2025
The 6’0 189 CB from Charlotte, NC is ranked as a Top 5 CB in the ‘26 Class (per On3 Industry)
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/za2ZeaqLZ7 pic.twitter.com/gnEx6rRHsw
The 6-foot, 180-pounder has an impressive offer list. Including his top four schools, he also has offers from the likes of Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Southern California, and others.
Earlier in January, Matthews attended a Junior Day event at Florida State. He also took an unofficial visit to Tallahassee last summer.
Matthews has held a Clemson offer since May of 2024. 247Sports.com doesn't show that he has visited Clemson yet but apparently, the Tigers have made enough of an impression to make it into his top four.
Now, it will be time to see if Swinney and Co. can close the deal. If that happens, another elite corner back prospect will be headed to Clemson.